Hi all im new her and to caravanning , my partner says by plugging the mains electric in the house to van this will charge the battery is this correct
charging a leisure battery
- Thread starter laura_374424136
- Start date
Yes;
But until you know more about the type of charger fitted in you van don't leave it connected for more than 48 hours. Some chargers can be left connected and actually benefit a battery, most cause an amount of damage once the charging is complete.
But until you know more about the type of charger fitted in you van don't leave it connected for more than 48 hours. Some chargers can be left connected and actually benefit a battery, most cause an amount of damage once the charging is complete.
The makers name/model type is possibly written on it.
However with a few exceptions unless it's a German van or a Swift of only a couple of years of age then its almost certainly the more rudimentary type of charger.
Even if it's a sophisticated one ["smart" charger] only a little benefit is lost by disconnecting the mains after the battery is given chance to fully charge [36 to 48 hours at most]. So to be safe simply put it on mains before and after a trip for say a day or two; that way will ensure the battery is charged and at the same time avoid too much battery water loss. [ I have resisted saying "overcharged" as strictly speaking that term is often used for other issues]
JTQ - I have a 2008 Swift Coastline 540 (SE of Charisma 555) When not on site I keep it in the drive at the side of the house with a short lead attached to an outside power point. I have done this partly to keep the battery charged up all the time as well as having mains electricity available in the van to use the vacuum cleaner etc. Are you suggesting that this is not a good idea as it might damage the battery ?
Chris,
If your Swift has the Italian made "smart" charger then leaving it connected will not do any harm.
The Swift man on here can guide you on that.
Depending on how "smart" that charger is it could even be marginally beneficial; I simply don't know the details of the charger to say but at the price point they could afford in a van and be competitive I doubt it.
If it's the type of charger used in most vans it will go up to 13.8 volts and stay there. That whilst not immediately damaging the battery is too high to be maintained, and will be inducing some gassing and hence water loss.
Oddly "smart" chargers go much higher than this to achieve a deeper charge and control sulphation but for parts of a second giving the bubbles time to be reabsorbed in the plate.
My advice would be is not to leave it coupled unless you know it has a "smart" charger. Whilst those with really "smart" chargers can benefit from leaving it connected, even there the gain is marginal.
If your Swift has the Italian made "smart" charger then leaving it connected will not do any harm.
The Swift man on here can guide you on that.
Depending on how "smart" that charger is it could even be marginally beneficial; I simply don't know the details of the charger to say but at the price point they could afford in a van and be competitive I doubt it.
If it's the type of charger used in most vans it will go up to 13.8 volts and stay there. That whilst not immediately damaging the battery is too high to be maintained, and will be inducing some gassing and hence water loss.
Oddly "smart" chargers go much higher than this to achieve a deeper charge and control sulphation but for parts of a second giving the bubbles time to be reabsorbed in the plate.
My advice would be is not to leave it coupled unless you know it has a "smart" charger. Whilst those with really "smart" chargers can benefit from leaving it connected, even there the gain is marginal.
Had a quick look in the van & the Power supply unit is in fact the NE143RM which is indeed made in Italy. On checking the handbook it says "the battery can be left permanently connected to the charger without causing it any damage".Also " The battery charger is fitted with circuitry which will protect it in the event of electrical or thermal overload" So it looks as though it's ok for me to leave the van connected.
When we have been on low amp sites in Spain I have switched the charger off to reduce consumption rather than trip the system and then switched it back on overnight.
When we have been on low amp sites in Spain I have switched the charger off to reduce consumption rather than trip the system and then switched it back on overnight.
Hello Chris G,
There is absolutely nothing wrong in your approach to maintaining the battery when away, by switching the charger off during the day, but I doubt whether the battery charger pulls more than 0.5 Amp from the mains under worst case conditions so it's not going to make a big difference unless you are right on the limit with other appliances.
But as I say there is nothing wrong in what you are doing.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in your approach to maintaining the battery when away, by switching the charger off during the day, but I doubt whether the battery charger pulls more than 0.5 Amp from the mains under worst case conditions so it's not going to make a big difference unless you are right on the limit with other appliances.
But as I say there is nothing wrong in what you are doing.
The reason caravan battery chargers in the main, give an output of 13.8volts is to AVOID gassing and water loss, in days gone bye chargers were giving out higher voltages, and so many people were being "caught" out with dry batteries.
Over a two week holiday i never turn my charger off, no point.
However, equally i see no point in leaving ANY charger on permanently, while it is unattended there is always a risk of failure or fire, even with a smart charger, electronics DO fail.
Over a two week holiday i never turn my charger off, no point.
However, equally i see no point in leaving ANY charger on permanently, while it is unattended there is always a risk of failure or fire, even with a smart charger, electronics DO fail.
Our battery appears to need charging as we cannot set the alarm on the van when we go out although the gauge on the wall points to it being full. The battery charger in the van is always on but it obviously doesn't charge enough. We can't take our van home due to lack of space so we leave it in storage and take it out as required. How can we charge up the battery ourselves? Do we need to buy a battery charger and take the battery out and take it home to do it or could we plug a battery charger into one of the sockets in the van when we're on site and do it there? Any suggestions gratefully received.
The battery charger on our swift 590 tips out when you switch it on does anyone know how much they are to replace.
craig
craig
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